You ever priced one? They get ridiculous. Scored this large cabinet for 10$ at a yard sale. Took the drawers out, ground off some rivets to remove the drawer tracks, hammered down some tabs and it's already looking like what it will be. After cutting off some of the drawer tracks, the cut pieces will serve as tracks for the front sliding glass doors, which will be two glass panels, 15 inches high and roughly two ft long, each. Bonus, I was scratching my head for what to use for door tracks and dreading hunting them at a hardware store and coughing up too much $......Bam! Already there, just had to cut them out with my grinder's zip disc. For such a large enclosure, it's very lightweight and strong. For the top, I am cutting out 3 squares and will use 1/4 inch hardware mesh. This will easily allow a basking lamp to sit atop the cage at the proper height to provide a basking area of around 82 to 90 degrees F. If it's to hot, simply elevate the fixture some (this is where aquariums DONT translate to a good reptile habitat as they tend to be to high and the only way to correct this is get a very high wattage bulb, not ideal)... So far, I have two of the top squares cut. The metal strip between will serve as support for the mesh. Not being mindfull, I cut thru one side of the support....duhh... This will need to be welded back. Welding will be touch and go, you know how "thick" the steel on a filing cabinet is. My machine can do it though, set to minimum heat. I will also use self tapping sheet metal screws. It aint much to look at yet but I feel confident it will be a nice end result for around 50$ spent.
@Aleksander Ulyanov May add one more window on the back side, right behind the cut squares atop it....leaving at least half the back wall metal so the occupant can have some darker more "private" side of the cage. Important so the animal wont be stressed, having a retreat of sorts and a nice and open side too.
@politicalcenter This could serve as a nice small animal cage for many purposes, housing small animals like poultry chicks needing a heat lamp. A ferret, or rodents like rabbits.,... On second thought, maybe not such a large animal as if you did not seal the bottom very well the animals waste would quickly rust out the steel. However perfect for many types of reptiles turtles lizard snakes... Perhaps a horde of hermit crabs? Would have possibly also made a good smoker too if you had a secondary fire box and it was used as a cold smoking chamber, too thin to make a proper smoker out of.
My god, if that girl thought that this borickuss ass, half rotten cage was worth a 100$ she must think this is worth 500$ LOL
Progress, it's getting close to finished. You can see the sliding glass doors on the front of it, they are very simple, they ride in angle iron tracks it will butt up against each other in the center when fully closed. On the top you can see the screen cut for the top of the cage it's not secure yet it will be secured with other strips of sheet metal screwed in. The other two windows on the other side of the walls of the cage or to be plexiglass also screwed in with sheet metal screws. What kind of beer pain in the butt because where the screws do Penetrate through I will have to cut and grind them flush.
Details, details.... Got most of the steel cut today for securing the plexiglass and screen. Covering up the seems, nooks and crannies is taking some time. Anyone have any ideas for a non toxic floor coating? As it's a filing cabinet, the paint on the inside is thin in parts. This should last the better part of forever with one caveat.....keep rust at bay. The metal is so thin that any rust is not good. Anyone think a latex paint would be suitable?
I fart in their general direction....over 700$ @Polydectes you keep reptiles right? Would you pay this much? I'd be too damn broke to put anything IN it!
Lemme see, what we got here, Crocodiles. Rattlesnakes, Pythons. What the hell, here they are. Somebody put them in the old room, right next to the Velociraptors and after the Stegosaurs.
Nope. When I want something ridiculously expensive, my creative side gets to turning. Not only do I save the $ but I build it how I want it.
I'd love an Eastern Diamondback but stupid laws. I want to scream when people show me pics on one they killed. Beautiful animal no? Juvenile... Adult...
Moccasins are beautiful too. If a bit drab, compared to the EDR. A Mexicam water moccasin is more colorful. AKA "cantil" Cantil.....very close cousin
I would never keep a poisonous animal. I get visions of the flesh rotting off my body while miserably suffering.
Well, if one keeps "hot" snakes, you had better consider every move when feeding, cleaning...etc. I trust one more than many humans, at least you know what it is and what it can do and act accordingly. Loving the unloved is not for everyone.
He's gorgeous .. and now I know why - he's half Blue Heeler! A good Aussie dog But yeah, they've very alert and hyper. It's the Dingo in their blood.
Close to done. I am taking my time and making sure it's 100% escape proof. You might be able to slide a matchbook cover through any gaps but that would be about it.
